Vietnamese female student admitted to master's programs at 4 top Chinese universities.

Through her unwavering pursuit of knowledge, Le Thi Thuy Ngan (born in 2000, Thai Nguyen province) has opened the door to some of the most prestigious universities in China.

Báo Phụ nữ Việt Nam•23/12/2025

From my first misstep...

Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Communication at Tsinghua University (Beijing), Thuy Ngan doesn't consider herself an "academic prodigy." Her journey began with... a failure. In 2015, she failed her first-choice entrance exam for Literature. Sad, shocked, and crying all morning, that turned out to be the turning point that led Ngan to Chinese.

Vietnamese female student passes master's degree exams at 4 top Chinese universities - Photo 1.

Mercury at the Bow Gate – the symbol of Tsinghua University (Beijing), where she is pursuing a prestigious master's program.

Seven years later, the same scenario repeated itself: Ngan failed her first-choice master's program application. Still bewildered and shocked, she chose to face it by… ordering her favorite food and starting over.

"Having nothing left to lose, I decided to apply to the most difficult university in China. Even now, I still can't believe I got into Tsinghua University, especially since this year they only have one scholarship available for my chosen major," Ngân recounted.

Meanwhile, Ngân focused her efforts on Peking University and Fudan University, two universities that offered the exact major she wanted to pursue: International Chinese Language Education .

Fudan University offered a full scholarship, and she almost accepted. But shortly afterward, Tsinghua University sent an acceptance letter with a 100% tuition scholarship.

Vietnamese female student passes master's degree exams at 4 top Chinese universities - Photo 2.

Acceptance letters for master's programs at four universities: Tsinghua, Peking University, Fudan University, and East China Normal University.

The moment she opened the letter, Ngan didn't keep it to herself. She called her mother home: "I want you to open this acceptance letter with me." At that moment, Ngan thought, if she failed, she could study in Vietnam; nothing was the end of the world.

Looking back, Ngân still calls that event a "win big or lose everything" opportunity. But to "win big," Ngân spent nearly a year preparing her application: taking the CTCSOL certification exam (Certificate of Competence in Teaching Chinese to Foreigners) , studying for the Peking University entrance exam, the interview, the written exam all on the same day, researching her topic, and writing a Statement of Purpose (SOP) expressing her desire to contribute to the university... For Ngân, the most important essay wasn't about recounting achievements, but answering the question: "After the university awards the scholarship, what will I bring to them?"

Vietnamese female student passes master's degree exams at 4 top Chinese universities - Photo 3.

Thuy Ngan received the scholarship for outstanding international students while wearing a traditional Vietnamese ao dai dress.

Vietnamese female student passes master's degree exams at 4 top Chinese universities - Photo 4.

Mercury represented international students and gave a speech at the graduation ceremony of East China Normal University.

10 years of learning Chinese using a persistent strategy.

A person who earns master's degrees from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, and East China Normal University is often automatically considered a genius. However, Thuy Ngan refutes this notion, arguing that her greatest strengths are diligence, perseverance, and time management.

Since 2015, Ngan has been learning Chinese using methods such as: writing new words in notes on her phone and setting them as her wallpaper; sticking vocabulary sticky notes on the refrigerator, dressing table, and bathroom sink; and carrying a vocabulary notebook everywhere to read on buses, trains, and airplanes… “Learning isn't just about sitting at a desk. Continuous exposure is important,” Ngan shared.

Celebrating 10 years of studying Chinese, Ngan achieved HSK 9, the highest level, a milestone that even many native students find difficult to reach. She became a cabin interpreter, accompanying Vietnamese and Chinese delegations in trade promotion activities...

Not stopping there, Ngan switched to studying English so as not to be "confined to just one foreign language." This mindset helped her adapt quickly when she entered Tsinghua University, where students are all diligent "academic machines" who work tirelessly.

"Here, if you don't learn and improve, you'll be left behind," Ngan said. Pressure became motivation: maintaining bilingual Chinese-English studies, in-depth learning about media, and updating AI applications in the industry...

Vietnamese female student passes master's degree exams at 4 top Chinese universities - Photo 5.

Thuy Ngan served as a bilingual Chinese-English MC at the 2025 Hainan International Intellectual Property Exchange Congress.

Currently, the immediate goal for this Vietnamese female student is to pass her final handwriting exam, a challenge that Ngân admits she is still "very worried about failing." Her plan for next year is to achieve a higher IELTS score to complete her academic preparation.

Behind those goals, family remains a source of support, without pressure to achieve results or imposed expectations. This helps Ngan maintain balance instead of falling into extremism.

In her story, Ngan often talks about emotional discipline: it's okay to cry when you fail, but after crying, you must get back up. She talks about her belief in effort, saying, "Effort accounts for 90% of success, and the remaining 10% is luck. So try to improve your knowledge every day, because if you have real ability, there will be no shortage of opportunities to develop and shine."

At the age of 25, Thuy Ngan shared that her journey to earning master's degrees at top Chinese universities was not a miracle, but rather that opportunities are always open for those who strive and can shine in their own way.

Le Thi Thuy Ngan Tung is the valedictorian of the International English major at East China Normal University (Shanghai, China); President of the Vietnamese Student Association at the university; Vice President of the International Student Association at the university; ECNU Media Ambassador; and the only international student to represent and give a speech at the graduation ceremony...

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/nu-sinh-viet-do-thac-si-4-truong-hang-dau-trung-quoc-238251219163338846.htm